Chair.



No. 759,676. PATENTED- MAY 10 1904. H. F. COOK.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. '18, 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Illlllllllll.

'ratented May 10, 1904,

PATENT OFFICE. 1

HENRY 1 COOK, OF SAG HARBOR, NEWV YORK.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,676, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed December 18,1903. Serial No. 185,622. (No model.)

To ail whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY F. COOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sag lilarbor, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Chairs, of which-the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to improvements in chairs, and more particularly to that class commonly known as folding or cob lapsible chairs.

The object of the present invention is to construct a chair of the class above described that will obviate the present difficulties arising in the use of these chairs when arranged to yield as large a seating capacity as is possible in halls, theaters, assembly-rooms, or the like. Heretofore in this class of chairs the seats have been so constructed that they could be raised at the will of the occupant; but the supporting-bar for said seat, which is held in proper position by the upper ends of the forwardly-extending rear legs, always remains in the same position, so that the raising of said seat does very little toward widening the passage between the rows of seats. I

The present invention discloses a construction wherein when the seat is raised the crossbar on the tops of the rear legs can also be raised and turned back against the bottom of the seat in such manner that the space between the rows of seats will be greatly increased, thereby allowing of greater freedom for the passage of persons between the rows of chairs. In order to accomplish the above-described purpose, I preferably hinge the upper portion of the rear legs just forward of their pivotal point in position to support the seat and provide on the forward legs under and forward of the pivotal point a supporting-block to retain the rear legs in proper position, said sup ports not interfering in any manner with the hinged portion of said legs.

The detail construction and practical application of my invention will be more fully explained in the following specification and then particularly pointed out in the annexed claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a chair,

the seat of said chair being raised to more fully disclose the invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing how the legs are pivoted together and how the upper ends of the rear legs are attached to the lower portions thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the rear legs. Fig. L is a perspective view showing a modified form to be applied to chairs of this kind when made in twin form. Fig. 5 shows a further modification of the invention.

In the practical application and construction of my invention 1 1 are the main side bars, the lower ends of which form the forward legs 2 2, the upper ends supporting a back of any suitable design or construction. 7 Pivotally supported on the side arms 1 1 in any suitable manner is a seat 1, which may be of any desirable constructionsuch, for instance, as cane, slats, or perforated boards. The rear legs 5 5 are pivoted to the side frames 1 1 in the manner shown in the drawings that is, so that when the legs are spread theirlimit they will, in conjunction with leg portions 2 of the side frames, form proper support for the chair. Just forward and above the pivotal points of the logs the rear legs 5 are severed in the manner shown at (5. These severed portions 7 are preferably secured to the legs proper by means of hinges 8, said hinges being secured to the upper edges of the legs in such manner that the joint of the hinge will be coincident with the joining-lines of the two parts. It is desirable in seats of this construction to give as firm a support as possible to the forward end of the seat when it is lowered in position for seating purposes. This I aecomplish by supporting on the tops of the hinged portions 7 of the rear legs a cross-bar 15,which may be secured to said hinged portion in any suitable manner. This cross-bar 15 is arranged in such manner that when the seat is lowered the entire under side of said seat willrest on the bar, thereby giving it a substantial support while being occupied.

Secured on the forward edges of the leg portionsQ of the main frame 1 are blocks 10, which are adapted to engage the rear legs 5 ust above the pivotal point when said legs are opened, as shown in Fig. 2. and form a support for the same.

In order to strengthen the structure and to also provide a means for more rigidly securing the legs in proper position, I employ a brace-bar 12, which is secured to the main frames 1 just above and to the rear of the pivotal point of the legs 5. In order to prevent the possibility of the legs spreading laterally or bringing an unnecessary strain upon the pivotal points of the legs, I preferably employ a cross-bar 14, which is secured to the lower portion of the rear leg 5 in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

When the seats are unoccupied, they are kept in a raised position, as is also the seat-supporting bar 15, which permits of the widening of the space between the rows of seats, thereby making ingress and egress between the rows of-chairs more easily accomplished. WVhen it is desired to occupy a seat, the supportinghar 15 is first lowered to the position shown in Fig. 1, whereupon the seat is lowered until it engages the supporting-bar, where it will be retained in the desirable position for occupancy.

In Fig. 1 a modified form of construction is shownthat is, a construction which is employed in making twin seats. WVhen seats are made double or in twin form, it is impossible to have the seat-supporting bar 15 extend the entire width of the twin seats, inasmuch as it would be impossible to lift said bar out of the way unless both seats are unoccupied. To obviate this difficulty and make it possible to raise either seat independently and its supporting-bar, I preferably attach to the forward edge of the middle main frame 1, by means of a hinge 18, an upwardly-projecting supporting-bar 20, the lines of which are coincident with the upwardly-projecting portions 7 of the rear legs 5. The supportingbar 20 has attached to it on its top one end of one of the seat-supporting bars 15. Thus it will be seen that by hinging the supportingbar 20 on the middle supporting-frame 1 and attaching to the upper end thereof the seatsupporting bar 15 each seat-supporting bar is wholly independent to the other, either one of which can be raised or lowered at will without in any manner interfering with the other.

In Fig. 5 a still further modification is shown, wherein the severed portion 7 of the legs 5 are hinged to the bottom of the seat instead of to the leg. By an arrangement of this kind it will be noticed that when the seat is raised the supporting portions 7 will be raised therewith and finally rest against the bottom of the seat when the seat is at rest in its raised position. The portions 7 beinghinged as shown, the lower ends thereof will always rest when the seat is lowered on the upper ends of the rear legs 5.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is*

1. In a chair, the combination of the main side bars, the lower ends of which form the forward legs, a back connecting the upper ends of said side bars, a seat pivotally supported from the main side bars, rear legs pivoted to main side bars, and a support for the seat in its lowered position, connecting the front part of the seat and the chair-legs and movable independently of the legs away from supporting position.

2. In a folding chair, the combination with the chair-back and the forward legs carried together, of the rear legs pivoted to the forward legs, a seat pivoted to the back and foldable upward against the same, and a support for holding the seat in its lowered position and extending from the upper part of the rear legs to the front part of the seat and hinged to one of said parts.

3. In a folding chair, the combination with the chair-back and the forward legs carried together, of the rear legs pivoted to the forward legs, a seat pivoted to the back and foldable upwardly against the same, and a support for holding the seat in its lowered position, extending from the front part of the seat to and resting against the upper ends of the rear legs, and hinged to one of said parts.

4. In a folding chair, the combination with the chairback and the forward legs carried together, of rear legs pivoted to the forward legs, a seat pivotally connected to the back, and means for supporting the seat in its lowered position comprisingportions hinged to the legs adjacent the pivots of the legs, and a cross-bar connecting the free ends of said portions.

5. In a folding chair, the combination with the chair-back and the forward legs carried together, of rear legs pivoted to the forward legs, a seat pivotally connected to the back, and means for supporting the seat in its lowered positioncomprising portions hinged to the rear legs and resting against their upper ends in supporting positions, and a cross-bar connecting the free ends of the said portions.

6. A chair provided with supporting-legs pivotally engaging each other, a seat pivoted to the front legs, and a folding member resting against the upper ends of the rear legs to support the seat in its lowered position and capable of being moved away from the supporting position when the seat has been raised.

7. A folding chair comprising supportinglegs pivotally engaging one another, forming front and rear legs, a folding seat connected to the rear legs, and a supporting member for the seat movable independently of the legs away from supporting position and comprising portions connected to the legs at one end and a cross-bar connecting the free ends of said portions.

8. A folding chair comprising supporting- IIO legs pivotally engaging one another forming front and rear legs, a folding seat'eonneoted t0 the rear legs, and a supporting member for the seat movable independently of the legs away from supporting position and comprisin g portions pivotally connected to and resting against the upper end of the real legs, and a cross-bar connecting the free ends of said portions.

HENRY F. COOK.

Witnesses:

WM. A. (JOURTLANI), J. GREEN. 

